The Honors College

There is a lack of current and relevant academic literature focused on the importance of group dynamics to the success of a musical ensemble. Therefore, directors of musical ensembles may not fully understand the importance of this connection, particularly as it pertains to the learning and musical growth of those individuals within the ensemble. Greater knowledge about this phenomenon could be of great use to directors and performers alike in order to create a more successful rehearsal environment.

The primary objective of this study was to determine how tax policy impacts donor behavior with respect to the charitable contribution tax deduction. In addition, the study examined the effect on giving to non-profit organizations through various proposals to change the benefit of the charitable contribution tax deduction. The best proposal was determined to be a deduction both advantageous to the taxpayers as an incentive to give financially to qualifying organizations and advantageous as a benefit offered by the government as a result of subsidization through tax policy.

In this senior thesis we examine the relationship between math, specifically group theory, and tonal music systems. In particular, we examine the 12-note tonal system of western music and identify some of its fundamental properties. From there we establish criteria that an alternative tonal system must meet to be considered an acceptable alternative to the 12-note tonal system. We build a mathematical model for n-note tonal systems using cyclic groups of order n.

Despite years of research and suggestions, accounting firms still face a gender disparity in the highest ranks of firms. Gender entered accounting research in the 1980s, and continued to evolve upon the response from the accounting profession. This paper identifies four key trends in research on gender and accounting, specifically focusing on women’s attempt to reach partner in larger firms. The first trend provided a basis for further research, validating gender as a topic to be studied in the realm of accounting, while the following two trends were far more focused.

In this thesis, the transformation of the legal status of women will be examined. Beginning with a discussion of the common law foundations and focusing especially on coverture, this paper will provide a history of how women’s place in society developed through legislation as they gradually evolved from being recognized as the property of their husbands to being sovereign individuals. This progression for women was slow, and remains incomplete. Despite progress, echoes of patriarchal oppression still exist in law today.

Spanish retailer Zara, owned by Inditex fashion retail group, was founded in 1975 on the philosophies of flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability. Now one of the largest fashion retailers in the world and the best-known fashion brand in Spain, Zara has transformed the industry and has been praised for its business model. In August of 2011, tragedy struck for Zara when over 30 of its outsourced factories in São Paulo, Brazil were discovered using slave labor practices. The company denied any involvement and blamed its supplier.

This research paper will primarily discuss the impact that Japanese animation and manga have had on American popular culture and the subsequent cult following they developed. It will discuss what distinguishes Japanese animation from Western animation, how Japanese animation initially gained popularity among American audiences, and how it has subsequently impacted American popular culture. This paper will also focus on the subculture of otaku, a group of people known for their devoted following to Japanese animation and comic books.

Negative affective states (e.g., anxiety) can have a significant impact on risk- perception and risk-taking behaviors. High trait anxiety has been linked with risk-avoidant decision-making, though little is known regarding the specific facets of anxiety contributing to this negative association.

Previous studies on the personality traits of accountants have shown how accounting professionals differ from other professionals in personality traits. Accountants have proved to be significantly higher in conscientiousness and significantly lower in extraversion, assertiveness, neuroticism, and openness. This study explores the idea that accounting professionals in different practice areas may have differing personality traits, rather than all accountants being the same.

People make judgments and decisions on an everyday basis. From picking an NCAA Tournament bracket to judging the likelihood of rain, people often have a preference for one outcome over another. Wishful thinking is the idea that people’s desires exhibit a causal influence on their expectations—specifically, a desire for an outcome increases people’s optimism about that outcome. Past research has found wishful thinking (or “the desirability bias”) in a variety of contexts, including sports and political decisions.